Container constructed of boxboard and blanks therefor



May 27, 1941. E. M..BROGDEN CONTAINER CONSTRUCTED 0F BOXBOARD AND BLANKSTHEREFOR Origifial Filed Aug. 27, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 lNVENTORfE/vEs-r M 520 DEN ATTORNEY May 27; 1941. M. BROGDEN 2,243,080 CONTAINERCONSTRUCTED OF BOXBOARD AND BLANKS THEREFOR Original Filed Aug. 27, 19555 Sheets-Sheet 2 Z TliA 4 I y'Tlrzs,

/@ Z 9 a a I INVENTOR /5 -l 7 EQA/Esr M BRO DEN.

' V wam ATTORNEY w 3 m Q m N. 2, hr MW Em 6 W mm .Y s m5. M w T K W7 H ms A L s B N 1 D: Nm E 2 ,5 vm. Gu m 8 m MT 5mm wn. .2 H Rd o 3 N o c R EN M T 0 n p o c May 27, 194i.

May 27, 1941. BROGDEN 2,243,086

CONTAINER CONSTRUCTED OF BOXBOARD AND BLANKS THEREFOR Original Filed Aug27, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR ie/vssr M Became/v.

ATTORNEY May 27, 1941. E. M. BROGDEN 2,243,030

CONTAINER CONSTRUCTED OF BOXBQ ARD AND BLANkS THEREFOR Original FiledAug. 27, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 i 'H" 26 29 5 r Q6 u I 5 M 26 2 l 3/ I ka, Z7 27 v ENEJ T M 5206 DEN. wm WM;

ATTORNEY Patented May 27, 1941 UNETED STATES anaosc PATENT OFFE'.

CONTAINER CONSTRUCTED OF BOXBOARD AND BLANKS THEREFOR Application August27, 1935, Serial No. 38,110 Renewed October 27, 1937 14 Claims. (Cl.229-33) This invention relates to containers constructed of boxboard andblanks therefor. The invention relates more particularly to a packagingcontainer constructed of fibrous paper-stock material in manufacturedsheet form, such as cardboard, fiber-board, corrugated board or othersuitable manufactured fibrous sheet material of generally relatedcharacter, and possessing novel and desirable characteristics thatrender it peculiarly fitted to meet practical trade requirements notsatisfactorily met heretofore where the container was formed of suchmaterial, and to a novel blank of such material offering particularadvantages in the manufacture of the container, The term boxboard isherein used in the generic sense to include any such fibrous sheetmaterial.

Still more particularly, the novel container of the invention is of theforegoing character as to construction material and of a typeconstituting a consumer-unit container for the packaging of articles ofgenerally globular shape and substantial size, especially fresh fruitsand vegetables, in a manner permitting the articles to be displayed topurchasers and inspected by them in the package. Most desirably, thecontainer is also of a form and construction suited for use in shippingor transporting the articles in packaged form in the course of theirdistribution from the producer to the consumer, while affording themeffective protection against mechanical injury.

i8 invention is useful in packaging a wide variety of articles inconnection with their distribution and sale, but is especially usefulwhen applied as a consumer-unit packaging container in connection withthe distribution and sale of fresh fruits and vegetables that are moreor less globular in form, and particularly such fruits and vegetables asare, in commercial practice, customarily sized or grouped into more orless stand ard sizes in making them ready for marketing to dealers andconsumers and are usually offered for retail sale and sold to consumersin unit numbers, such as a dozen or any convenient multiple or fractionof such unit, with the component articles of any given unit or lot ofapproximately uniform size. The invention is also applicable, however,where such articles are sold in weight units instead of number units.Examples of fruit and vegetables in connection with whose distributionand sale the novel container of the invention oifers particularadvantages are citrus fruits, including oranges, grapefruit, tangerines,and lemons; deciduous fruits such as apples,

9,:Drice.

pears, peaches and plums; and vegetables such as tomatoes, onions andpotatoes.

The invention is more particularly directed to the provision of aboxboard packaging container 5 and means for its ready and cheapmanufacture,

which container will meet practical trade requirements in the specialfield of distributing and marketing such perishable food articles asmentioned above which have not been met satis- 10 factorily heretoforeby containers of that general type. The underlying principles of theinvention will therefore be disclosed with particular reference to theapplication of the invention to this special field of use, As alreadynoted,

15 however, the invention is not limited to this particular field ofuse, and reference thereto in disclosing its principles is not to beconstrued as limiting the broad scope of the invention as defined in theappended claims.

Among the practical trade requirements of a consumer-unit packagingcontainer for commercial distribution and marketing of fresh fruits andvegetables of the character referred to above, one of first importanceis that the container 2;.be of a form and construction involvingrelatively low manufacturing cost and relatively low labor expense forpacking the articles therein in order that the complete package mayprofitably be sold to a consumer at an attractively low Anotherimportant requirement is that the container shall have sufiicientstrength and stiffness to be self-sustaining and to prevent the packagebeing broken open and its contents in jured under ordinary handlingconditions which,

s if the packaged articles are to be shipped or transported in thecontainer a substantial dis tance, may often be somewhat severe. Also,the container should hold the articles snugly enough to preventsubstantial relative movement thereof 40 within the container such aswould result in undue chafing or rubbing during transportation. Stillfurther, it is desirable that the container be of such form andconstruction as to automatically accommodate itself to reasonable varia-5 ,tions from the intended mean or average standard size and departurefrom normal globular form, of the articles composing the unit to be heldtherein, whether thearticles happen to be somewhat oversize orundersize. This is parliof ticularly desirable where the container is tobe used in a consumer-unit, package of fresh fruit, such as oranges forexample, in order that the container may remain snugly filled even where1 the oranges (e. g.) it contains may shrink to 1 some extent afteroriginally being placed therein,

due to the withering or wilting often undergone by fresh fruit ingreater or less degree during the distributing and marketing period, Itis also highly desirable that the consumer-unit container be such as toenable the dealer to pack the articles therein in a manner displayingthem to advantage in the package and enabling the purchaser easily toinspect them therein as to their quality or grade and condition. It isfurther of considerable practical importance that the container be suchas to form with the-contained articles a consumer-unit package ofattractive appearance as a whole; and, in nondelivery trade especially,that the package be of such shape and contour asto be easily handled andcarried by the consmner-purcha ser:

My invention comprises a novel boxboar'd container meeting the foregoingrequirements, as Well as possessing other important practicaladvantages, and a novel boxboard blank offering particular advantagesfor manufacture of the container therefrom. The use of any suitablefibrous sheet material coming under the term boxboard as hereinbeforedefined substantially lowers the manufacturing costs for the containeras well as presents other advantages, particularly where the containersare of relatively small sizes in which sizes my invention findsespecially useful application, such containers, of course, beingdesigned to package the articles in correspondingly small lots. Whilethe sheet material mentioned has long been employed in the manufactureof containers of various types including packaging and displaycontainers for such fruits and vegetables as are mentioned above, nocontainer of the consumer-unit type and made of such material has beenavailable in the art that would satisfactorily meet all the variouspractical requirements and possess the advantageous characteristicsoutlined above. I

The provision of such a container involves the heretofore unsolvedproblem of giving the con tainer a body construction, form andarrangement of its parts which will not only fit the container to meetthe practical trade requirements outlined above but will also comewithin the manufacturing limitations imposed by the construction of thecontainer from the mentioned sheet material.

As will more fully appear from the detailed dements thereof, theinvention affords a practical and satisfactory solution of the foregoingprob lem, avoiding objections and supplying deficiencies characterizingprior practice pertaining to packaging containers constructed ofboxboard or the like and providing a consumer-unit packaging containerconstructed of such material that not only meets the requirements andpossesses the advantages mentioned above, but also enables otherimportant advantages to be realized.

Generally described, the packaging container of the invention comprisesa tray section constituting the lower part or body and cover flaps, bothconstructed of boxboard, with the cover flaps hinged to the upper edgeor periphery of the tray section and of such configuration that whenthey are moved or folded over the tray section they only partly coverthe same, leaving a central portion of the top open to expose thecontents. 70

In the best embodiments of the invention, the container is soconstructed and proportioned that it will snugly hold a predeterminedunit quantity, more particularly a unit number, of globular articles (e,g. oranges or peaches) of one or more scription hereinafter given ofexemplary embodistandard sizes, usually only one size, in apredetermined arrangement presenting a major portion of the articlescomprisingthe contained unit projecting above the upper edge of thetray, as an advantageous arrangement of the articles in the package fordisplay and other purposes, and will maintain them in this arrangementby preventing substantial relative movement of the articles one toanother. Also, in the preferred embodiment of the invention, the hingedcover flaps are of, such dimensions and shape that they do not overlapwhen moved inwardly into their normal covering position and do not evencontact with each other when the container is filled with its unit quotaof globular articles of the normal mean standard size or sizescontemplated. Consequently in this preferred embodiment of theinvention, the complete package is open not only centrally but at spacedperipheral localities as well; and since in the above-describedarrangement of the articles in the container the major portion of themproject above the upper edge of the tray section, the majority of thecontained articles are prominently visible through the central andperipheral openings left uncovered by the cooperating cover flaps.

Most desirably, the novel container is structurally strong andself-sustaining, and boxboard of any of the hereinbefore-mentioned typesand of different degrees of thickness and stiffness or rigidity andconsequent resistance to deformation from the plane sheet form may beemployed as the construction material, depending upon the structuralstrength and resistance to deformation desired'in the container. In thebest embodiments of the novel container, boxboard of such thickness andrigidity is employed and the container is so formed therefrom as toenable it to withstand the application of substantial external forcewithout deformation, thus permitting, for example, piling the completeunit packages, one upon another to a substantial height withoutendangering the integrity of the lower packages and damaging theircontents.

Other and more detailed aspects of the invention relate to the form andarrangement of the wall parts of the tray section and the cover flaps ofthe container within the manufacturing limitations imposed by itsconstruction from the mentioned sheet material to give the container thestructural features fitting it to adequately meet the practical traderequirements outlined above, the form of blank from which the con-.tainer may advantageously be made and the manner in which the blank isbent or folded in forming the container therefrom.

Certain concrete embodiments of my invention which have been foundparticularly suitable for use in connection with the distribution andsale of fresh fruits and vegetables of the kinds already mentioned willbe referred to and described hereinafter, by way of illustrativeexamples, in further explaining the principles of the invention, but itis to be understood that these embodiments of the invention are notlimited to this particular field of use.

In the accompanying drawings, which illu- ,,strate the above-mentionedembodiments of the invention,

Fig. 1 shows the perspective one form of the novel packaging containerfilled with fruit, such as oranges, to form a complete package.

Figs. 2 and 3 are side and end elevations, re-

'spectively, and Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the filled container shownin Fig. 1, while Fig. is a bottom plan view of the container;

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the container with the cover flaps swungback out of covering or closing position, with the preferred arrangementof the globular articles therein shown more or less diagrammatically;

, Figs. 7 and 3 are vertical sections on the lines l'! and 88,respectively, of Fig. 6, the arrangement of the contained articles beingagain shown more or less diagrammatically;

Fig. 9 is a vertical section through the container on the diagonal line9-9 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 10 is a plan view of one form of the novel box-board blank, fromwhich the container shown in Figs. 1 to 9 inclusive made be made, thescale of Fig. 10 being less than that of Figs. 1 to 9;

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of another form which the packagingcontainer of the invention may take;

Figs. 12 and 13 are side elevation and end or corner View, respectively,and Figs. 14 and 15 are top plan and bottom view, respectively, of thecontainer shown in Fig. 11; and

Fig. 16 is a plan view of another form of the novel boxboard blank, fromwhich the container shown in Figs. 11 to 15 inclusive may be made, thescale of Fig. 16 being larger than that of Figs. 11 to 15.

Referring first to that form of the novel packaging containerillustrated in Figs. 1 to 9 in elusive, it comprises a tray member whichconstitutes the body proper of the container and which is formed by aplane, rectangular bottom It, and plane side walls H and i2,co-extensive peripherally with the bottom at their line of junctiontherewith, the opposite side Walls H being slightly longer peripherallythan the side walls 12. Most desirably, and as shown, the side walls IIand 12 are inclined or flared outwardly toward the top, whichinclination spaces them apart above the bottom at their opposed endedges in the region of the corners of the container body, with thespaces increasing in V-shape toward the top. These corner spaces arespanned and the side walls connected together by plane corner walls 13of V-shape in plan, the corner walls being also outwardly inclined orflared toward the top. Two pairs of cover flaps l4 and 55 are hingedlyunited to the side walls I I and I2, respectively. Preferably, and asshown, the cover flaps are of a generally trapezoidal shape in plan,with rounded ends l6, which shape may also be broadly designated assegmental; and in their operative covering position, shown in Fig. l forexample, these cover flaps cooperate in non-overlapping relation tocover only partly the top of the container, leaving a relatively largecentral opening I I and corner openings 53, each of which, in thisinstance, is connected to the large central opening by a narrow opening19. Preferably also, these cover flaps are more or less rounded orarcuate in lines transverse to their hinge lines, as indicated moreparticularly at 20 in Figs. 2, 3, '7 and 8, to present each flap with aconcave inner face. In this form of container, the'side walls 5 l and 12and the corner walls l3 meet the bottom of the container at obtuseangles while each corner wall 13 also meets the adjacent side walls I land 52 at obtuse angles, interiorly of the container, so that, althoughthe container body is ofrectangular contour in general plan, its meetingwalls form only obtuse angles interiorly of the container. As will latermore fully appear, this is a form of container which, when properly di.in a series therefrom toward the front mensioned in relation to theglobular articles with which it is designed to be used, such as orangesor peaches, for example, will snugly hold,

.in an advantageous systematic arrangement, a

covering position shown wherein they contact the upper group of globulararticles 2i, such as oranges, for example, with which the container issnugly filled, holding them against substantial relative movement one tothe other, and

also preventing them from being spilled out of the container. Mostdesirably, the said fastenring or securing means is elastic or resilientand sufiiciently yielding to permit any or all of the cover flaps to beswung back to enable more complete inspection of the contents of thepackage, the resilient means acting, upon release of the flaps, toreturn them automatically to their normal closing position. In thepresent example, stout rubber bands or elastics 22, are employed asresilient securing or fastening means and have been found to beespecially advantageous and practical for the purpose in view.

In the embodiment here illustrated, the container is made of paper boardin laminated sheet form of sufficient thickness and rigidity to renderboth the body and the cover flaps structurally strong, rigid andresistant to deformation under all reasonable or ordinary handlingconditions. In the broader aspects of the invention, the bottom, sideand corner walls, and the cover flaps of the container, may be formedall in one piece of the aforesaid sheet material, with a suitableflexible-or hinging joint formed in the body of the sheet material atthe junction between the cover flaps and the side walls; or some ofthese parts may be in one piece separate from the others or each of themmay be formed as a separate piece, and the individual parts securedtogether in any suitable manner, with provision, in any event, ofcourse, for a hinging movement of the cover flaps on the side walls ofthe container. In the best embodiments of the invention, however,including the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 to 9 inclusive, thebottom, side .and corner walls, and the cover flaps of the container areconstructed all in one piece of the sheet material. This gives aruggedness and structural rigidity to the container parts which isespecially pronounced and satisfactory when the container takes the formillustrated in Figs. 1 to 9 inclusive, having plane lateral boundarywalls somewhat flared outwardly toward the top, with flattened corners,and cover flaps of outwardly rounded contour in lines transverse totheir hinge lines. In practice, this rounded contouring of the coverflaps may be accomplished by scoring the sheet material on the innerface of each flap in lines, indicated at 23 in Figs. 7, 8 and 9,parallel to its hinge line and extending the flap, and bending the flatsheet material of the flap upon the scored lines in the course of themanufacturing operations.

Referring to Fig. 10, the lines of cut and scoring of the boxboard lankfor the above-deedge of scribed container are such as to form the blankwith a central rectangular portion l0, forming the container bottom(unapertured in this instance) of the container when the blank isproperly bent or folded along the scored lines, two pairs of opposedside members II and I2 of trapezoidal shape, disposed about the centralportion of the blank with their longer bases disposed outwardlytherefrom and forming the side walls II and I2; wing tabs l3, disposedin pairs on the opposite ends of the side members and forming the cornerwalls I3, and terminal flaps I4 and 15 on the longer bases of the sidemembers II and I2, respectively, and forming the cover flaps I4 and I ofthe "container. As shown in Fig. 10, the rectangular central portion I!)of the blank is defined by two rectangularly related pairs of straightlines, Ii and I2, of scoring in the material of the blank on its topface. Each of the opposed trapezoidal side members I I is defined by oneof the scoring lines I I, that line marking its shorter base andjunction with the central portion of the blank; by a line of scoring I4parallel to the line H and forming its longer base line; and bytransverse lines of scoring l3 forming its opposite end boundaries.Likewise, each of the opposed trapezoidal side members I2 is defined byone of the scoring lines I2, that line marking its shorter base andjunction with the central portion of the blank; by a line of scoring I5parallel to .the line I2 and forming its longer base line; and bytransverse lines of scoring I3 forming its opposed end boundaries. Thesegmental shaped fiaps I4 and I5 extend, of course, from the scoringlines Id and I5 as terminal flaps on the side members II and i2,respectively; and those scoring lines I4 and I5 are so made as to form ahinge connection between the flaps and the side members. Also, thetriangular shaped wing tabs I3 extend from the scoring lines I3 of theside members II and I2. The sheet material of the flaps I4 and I5 isscored in a series of equally spaced lines 23 parallel to their hingelines, in order to permit bending the flaps from their initially flatsheet form into their final outwardly bowed or curved contour in thefinished container.

In forming the container from the blank, each of the four side portionsas a whole is bent upwardly from the central portion of the blank on thescoring lines I I and I2 to bring the side members II and it. intoposition to form the side walls of the container. The wing tabs on theopposite ends of each side wall are then bent out of the plane of saidwall and lapped upon the tabs on the ends of the adjacent side walls,and the lapped tabs are secured together to form the corner walls It.Although any other suitable securing means may be employed, it has beenfound advantageous to secure the lapped tabs together by stapling with aribbon staple, such as indicated at 24 in Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive. Thecover fiaps may then be bent from their initial fiat sheet form to bowthem outwardly into the curved contour in lines transverse to theirhinge lines which has already been mentioned as a desirable contouringfor these flaps, or the flaps may be retained in their flat sheet formuntil the container is ready for use and the contouring of the flapsthen made.

In addition to the advantageous features of this form of container whichhave already been mentioned, it is to be noted that when the containeris made from a single blank of boxboard in the manner described above,the corner walls are of double thickness of the sheet material so that,when the container is filled, the package as a whole is substantiallyreinforced at the corners which are the points in a package of generallypolygonal shape usually subject to the greatest strain in the handlingof the package and where such a package is most apt to break open.

As hereinbefore pointed out, one of the more specific objects of theinvention is to provide a packaging container constructed of boxboardand so dimensioned and proportioned as to hold snugly in predeterminedsystematic arrangement, a convenient consumer-unit number or approximateweight of globular articles, such as oranges or other citrus fruits, orpeaches, for example, of one uniform standard size, or of a limitedrange of more than one standard size. The form of the novel boxboardcontainer illustrated in Figs. 1 to 9, inclusive, is particularlyadapted to securely package a consumer-unit number of such articles inan arrangement of the articles in two groups constituting a minorproportion and a major proportion, respectively, of the total number ofthe globular articles comprised in the given consumer unit and todisplay the articles of the major group within the package. Thisarrangement is broadly one in which the articles of the minor or smallergroup are disposed within the normally lower part of the container,directly upon the bottom, in two rows extending longitudinally (i. e.parallel to the longer side walls I I) of the container body, with saidrows in contact with each other or virtually so, and also in closeapproach to or even directly in contact with the side walls II. Themajor or larger group of articles constituting the remainder of the unitis located as a whole above the minor group, all the globular articlescomprised therein projecting above the upper edge of the tray member orbody of the container and therefore being visible to a greater or lessextent even when the cover flaps are in their normally closed position,and being substantially wholly exposed to view when the flaps are liftedor swung back. This arrangement or position-pattern of the upper andlarger group of articles is always characterized, in this particularform of package, by two outer longitudinal rows parallel to the two rowsof the lower group but each containing one more article than thecorresponding row of the lower group. These outer longitudinal rows ofthe upper group are spaced apart by the remaining articles of the uppergroup which may or may not also contact with the articles of the lowergroup.

The specific container of Figs. 1 to 9, inclusive, is designed to holdone dozen oranges, all of one standard size or divided into oranges ofthat standard size and the standard size next smaller, and in thisparticular instance, the arrangement which has just been described isspecifically as illustrated diagrammatically in Figs. 6, 7 and 8. Itwill be seen that the minor or lower group consists of four articles intwo longitudinal rows, while the upper or larger group consists of eightarticles arranged in two outer longitudinal rows of three each which arespaced apart by a single longitudinal row of two articles, these twoarticles contacting also with the articles in the lower group andprojecting somewhat higher than the remaining articles of the uppergroup. This gives a slightly rounded general contour to the top of thecontained unit number of globular ance, permitting a prospectivepurchaser to see eight of the twelve articles, such as oranges,

without even having to lift the cover flaps; and upon the cover flapsbeing lifted, the eight articles are very easily still more fullyexposed to view. The package is then restored to its original partlycovered condition simply by releasing the cover flaps whichautomatically resume their closing position.

The diagrammatic illustration in Figs. 1 to 9 inclusive of the describedarrangement of the articles within the container is, of course, based onthe assumption that the articles are truly spherical; and, when articlesof that shape are packed in the container in the arrangement justdescribed, a space, indicated at 25 in Fig. 6, is

left unoccupied at each end of the central Ion-- gitudinal row ofarticles in the upper group and also a space, indicated at 25 in Fig. 9,is left unoccupied between each article of the lower group and theadjacent corner wall l3. However,

as will presently be more particularly pointed out, these spaces will bemore or less filled when the container is packed with oranges or othergenerally globular fruits which, as noted above, are never trulyspherical and frequently depart rather widely from that precise shape.Never theless, whether the articles are of truly spherical shape and thementioned spaces remain unoccupied or not, the articles are virtuallylocked in their described arrangement against substantial relativemovement one to the other by the cover flaps of the container and theirholding means which latter firmly engages the flaps and presses themagainst the articles of the upper group; also by the engagement of the.articles one with another and with the walls of the container. Whenoranges or the like articles of fruit are packed in the container in thedescribed arrangement, the upper end spaces 25 and the lower cornerspaces 25, left in the container when the articles are truly sphericalin shape, provide means for taking care of the more or less widevariations from true sphericity in packing this particular unit number(e. g. a dozen) of the oranges into the container, it being possible toturn the corner articles and center-row articles, for example, of theupper or larger group and any one of the articles of the lower orsmaller group in such a way that irregular projections can extend intothese end and, corner spaces, respectively.

It is also to be noted that while there is often some slight variationin any standard size of articles of such fruit, due to inherentlimitations of the mechanical sizing methods employed, or sometimes dueto withering and shrinkage, the provision of the hinged part-cover flapsand the resilient or elastic securing means which yieldingly holds themin their partly closingand retaining positions, renders the packagingcontainer self-adjusting as to capacity, within reasonable limits, totake care of these variations. By giving the cover flaps thelongitudinal and transverse dimensions relative to the top of thecontainer shown in the drawings and forming them of general trapezoidalshape in plan, with rounded corners l6, and spacing them apart at theirhinge lines in the region of the corners of the container, these flapsdo not overlap when exercising their closing and retaining functions;and in what may be termed their normal or mean also relatively stiff andstrong, it is feasible in practice to stack the filled containers oneupon another to a considerable height with- 5 closing position, adjacentflaps do not even touch, as is evident from the drawings. If the fruitof a given standard size which the container is designed to hold happensto run somewhat oversize, it can nevertheless be accommodated because inthat case the flaps simply occupy a slightly higher position withsomewhat greater spacing between their edges at the points l9. On theother hand, if the fruit is running somewhat undersize, or in caseswhere half of the lot designed for the container is of the next smallerstandard size, the aggregate volume of the lot is somewhat less and theflaps move further down in attaining their closing position and thuscontract the effective holding capacity of the container. In thelimiting position for such contraction, the curved corners of adjacentcover flaps actually contact by abutment, and

owing to the substantial thickness and stiffness of the boxboardmaterial of the flaps and the relative capability of their being bentonly outwardly by reason of the location of the lines of scoring ontheir inner faces, such abutment is positive-and produces what isvirtually an arch- 1ng effect in the cover construction, rendering itresistant to a considerable downward thrust.

Due to this fact, and to the fact that the boxboard tray member or bodyof the container is entirely out crushing the lowermost container orcontainers in thestack or injuring the contents thereof. Moreover, whenfresh fruit is packed in these containers and the packages are stackedfor purposes of storage or transportation, the fruit is still ensuredthe ample ventilation which is so -necessary for its continuedwell-being, due tothe large proportion of the top of the container leftuncovered by the cover flaps, and the fact that packages of this formcannot be stacked together in a manner to avoid leaving channels betweenthem which are effective for air circulation.

The interior surface contour of the container illustrated in Figs. 1 to9 inclusive, gives this form of the container additional advantages,especially for the packaging of globular fruits. Be-

cause of the obtuse meeting angles of the side and corner walls of thecontainer, their outward flare toward the top, and the increase in Widthof eachcorner wall upwardly, there is a spread of the corner spaces ofthe container toward its top which enables the opposite end oranges (e.g.) of the two outer rows ofthe upper group to fit into the cornerspaces at the level of that group sufliciently to contact the cornerWalls as well as the side walls of the container so that those orangesare laterally engaged by these walls at three spaced points orlocalities on the surface of each such orange. The result is a verysubstantially better distribution of outward pressures of the corneroranges on the container tainer open.

;Figs. 1-1 to 15, inclusive show another practical form of box-boardcontainer embodying my inshallow that the articles of this single layerproject well above its upper edge.

The container illustrated in Figs. 11 to 15 inclusive is triangular ingeneral plan, and in this instance is designed to contain half a dozenoranges, for example. The tray or body portion is formed with a planebottom 26, three plane side Walls 2?, inclined or flared outwardlytoward the top, and three plane corner walls 28 Which are likewiseflared outwardly. The three side walls are disposed in acute-angledrelation and are of equal length to give the container the general formof an equilateral triangle in plan, having short, plane corner walls atthe,

vertices, in the particular embodiment here shown. Three cover flaps 29,of equal length, are hingedly united to the three side walls.Preferably, these cover flaps are outwardly curved or bowed in linestransverse to their hinge lines as in the case of the flaps of thepreceding form of container.

Means for holding the cover flaps in closing position is here shown as.comprising one rubber band 30 cross-looped around two corners of thepackage, which amply sufiices to hold these flaps in position and at thesame time ensure that the rubber band will not slip off accidentally.Obviously, one or more rubber bands or other fastening means may beapplied to hold the fiap ends at the third corner of the package ifdesired, although this is unnecessary because the structural stiffnessof the boxboard flaps prevents said flap ends from separating when thoseat the first two corners are secured as described.

Like the preceding form of container, the form of container illustratedin Figs. 11 to 15 inclusive may be constructed of separate pieces of anysuitable boxboard, with the individual parts properly secured together;but this container is preferably formed all in one piece from a blank ofsuitable boxboard material, such as paper board in laminated sheet form,ofsufiicient stiffness and rigidity to give the finished container ofthe form shown the structural strength, rigidity, and resistance todeformation required for the uses of the container hereinbeforementioned. One form of boxboard blank of my invention which offersparticular advantages in the manufacture of a container of the formillustrated in Figs. 11 to 15, inclusive, is shown in Fig. 16. The linesof cut and scoring of that blank are such as to give it a centralportion 26 of generally triangular outline (equilateral), designed toform the bottom 26 (without aperturlng in this instance) of the finishedcontainer; three base tabs 28' of trapezoidal shape extending from thethree corners of the central or base portion of the blank; three sidemembers 21 of trapezoidal shape extending from the three side lines ofthe central portion of the blank, with their longer base lines disposedoutwardly, to form the side walls 21 of the container; wing tabs 28" ofrhomboidal shape, disposed in pairs on the oppositeoutwardly inclinedend lines of the side members 21,

described above and illustrated in the drawings and designed, incooperation with the base tabs 28, to form the corner walls 28 of thecontainer; and terminal flaps 29 extending from the longer base lines ofthe side member to form the cover flaps 29 of the container.

The central or base portion 28 of the blank is defined by three straightlines of scoring 26 in the material of the blank on its top face, ofequal length and disposed in acute-angled rel-ation to one another butterminating short of meeting points, and three relatively short andstraight lines of scoring 26" connecting the side lines at the cornersor vertices of the generally triangular shaped figure, with the meetinglines forming obtuse angles, specifically angles of The side members 21extend from the scored side lines 26 and the base tabs 28' extend fromthe scored corner lines 26 of the base portion of the blank so as toenable these parts to be bent up from the base-portion on these scoredlines in the formation of the container. The junction between each sidemember 21 and the terminal flap extending therefrom is marked by theline of scoring 21 which also marks the longer base line of .the sidemember and is formed to provide a hinged connection between the flap andthe side member. The junction lines between each side member 21 and thepair of wing tabs extending therefrom is marked by the lines of scoring21" which define the opposite end boundaries of the side member, thewing tabs being bent upon these scored lines out of the plane of theside member in the formation of the container. The sheet material ofeach flap 29 is scored in a series of equally spaced lines 3|, parallelto its hinge line, in order to enable the flap to be bent from itsinitially fiat sheet form into its finally outward bowed or roundedcon-tour.

In forming the container from the blank, after the side members 21 andthe base tabs 28' have been bent up from the base portion of the blank,

the wing tabs 28" on the opposite ends of each side wall 21 are bent outof the plane of that wall to lap upon the outer face of the adjacentbase tab 28and the lapped tabs are then secured together, preferably bya ribbon staple, as indicated at 32in Figs. 11 to 15 inclusive, to formthe corner walls of the container.

Two concrete embodiments of the novel packaging container and boxboardblank have been as examples of the practice of the invention moreparticularly in the packaging of fresh fruits and vegetables ofgenerally globular shape for their distribution and sale. It is evident,however, that the invention is not limited to the examples of itspractice here given, but that the invention is of broad scope and itsprinciples may be embodied in containers differing widely as to theirspecific form, prop-ortioning and mode of construction from the boxboardmaterial and in blanks also differing widely in specific form anddetailed features.

- What is claimed'is:

or base. portion defined by a polygonal outline scored in the materialof the blank on one face thereof, said base portion being adapted toform the bottom of the container, side members extending separately inangularly relation to one another from said base portion, said sidemembers being adapted to be 'bent on said scored I ;lin es upwardly fromsaid base portion to form 75;

side walls of the container, and a terminal flap extending from eachsaid side member and having a scored line of junction therewith on saidone face of the blank, said scored lines of junction being formed toprovide hinges for said flaps and said flaps having shapes andlongitudinal and transverse dimensions adapting them to function ashinged cover members for the container with each cooperating with theothers in closing position and in non-overlapping relation to partiallycover the top of the container, leaving the same open both centrally andat spaced peripheral localities.

2. A one-piece blank as defined in claim 1 and in which said terminalflaps are of trapezoidal shape in general plan with their shorter baselines disposed outwardly of their said lines of junction with said sidemembers.

3. A one-piece blank as defined in claim 1 and in which said sidemembers are of trapezoidal contour with the longer base line of eachextending along said line of junction of the terminal flap therewith,said side members being adapted to form side walls of said containeroutwardly inclined or flared toward the top.

4. A one-piece blank as defined in claim 1 and in which each of saidterminal flaps is scored on said one face of the blank in lines parallelwith the scored line of its junction with the corresponding side memberof the blank and with said lines forming a series extending transverselyof the fiap.

5. A one-piece blank of boxboard for forming a container, said blankcomprising a central or base portion defined by a polygonal outlinescored in the material of the blank on one face thereof, said baseportion being adapted to form the bottom of the container,side membersextending separately in angular relation to one another from the scoredboundary lines of said base portion, a base line of each said sidemember being defined by one of the scored side lines of said baseportion, a terminal fiap of generally segmental contour on each saidside member with its base line defined by a scored line on said one faceof the blank parallel with the scored side line of said base portionfrom which the side member extends, a wing tab on each of the oppositeends of each said side member with the junction of said tabs with saidside member marked by scored lines extending transversely of saidmember, said side members being adapted to be bent on the scoredboundary lines of said base portion upwardly from the plane of said baseportion to form side walls of the container and said tabs on theopposite ends of each said side member being adapted to be bent on saidtransverse score lines out of the plane of said side member and to belapped upon the tabs on the opposed ends of adjacent side members, whensaid side members are bent upwardly, to form corner walls of thecontainer, and said terminal flaps having 1ongitudinal and transversedimensions adapting them to function as hinged cover members for thecontainer, each in non-overlapping cooperation with the others inclosing position, to partially cover the top of said container, leavingthe same open bot-h centrally and at the corners thereof.

6 A one-piece blank of boxboard for forming a container, said blankcomprising a central or base portion defined by a rectangular outlinescoring in the material of the blank on one face thereof, said baseportion being adapted to form the bottom of the container, four sidemembers of trapezoidal shape having their shorter base lines defined bythe scored lines marking the rectilinear boundaries of said baseportion, the longer base line of each said side member being defined bya scored line parallel with that defining its shorter base line, andeach said side member having a terminal flap extending from said scoredline defining its longer base, each said side member also having scoredtransverse lines and triangular wing tabs extending therefrom at itsopposite ends, said trapezoidal side members being adapted to be bent onthe scored boundary lines of said base portion upwardly from the planeof said base portionto form side walls of the container inclined orflared outwardly toward the top, the tab on each end of each side memberbeing adapted to be bent on said scored transverse lines intooverlapping engagement with the tab on the opposed end of the adjacentside member, when said side members are bent upwardly from said baseportion of the blank, to form corner walls of the container, and saidterminal flaps being adapted to be bent on said scored lines marking thelonger bases of said side members so as to function as cover flaps forthe container, said flaps having shapes and longitudinal and transversedimensions adapting them to function, each in non-overlappingcooperation with the others in closing position, to partially cover thetop of the container, leaving the same open both centrally and at spacedperipheral localities.

7. A one-piece boxboard blank for forming a container, said blankcomprising a central 01' base portion defined by three straight sidelines scored in the sheet material of the blank on one facev thereof inacute-angled relation but terminatmg short of meeting points and threerelatively short scored lines connecting said side lines and formingtherewith a generally triangular figure but with obtuse-angled corners,said base portion being adapted to form the bottom of the container,three side members extending separately from said base portion, one eachfrom one of said side lines, said side members being of trapezoidalcontour with their shorter base lines defined by said three scored sidelines, the longer base line of each defined by a scored line parallelwith that defining its shorter base line and the opposite end boundariesof each defined by scored transverse lines, a terminal flap extendingfrom said longer base line and wing tabs extending from, said scoredtransverse lines of each said side member, said longer base line of eachsaid side member being so scored as to form a hinge for said flap, and abase tab extending from each of said short or connecting scored lines ofsaid base portion, said trapezoidal side members being adapted to bebent upwardly on said three scored side lines from the plane of saidbase portion to form side walls of the container inclinedoutwardlytoward the top, said base tabs being adapted to be bentupwardly on said three short or connecting scored lines from the planeof the base portion of said blank and the wing tabs on the opposite endsof each said side member 'being adapted to be bent on said scoredtransverse lines to lap upon adjacent base tabs to form corner Walls ofthe container, and said terminal flaps having shapes and longitudinaland transverse dimensions adapting them. to function as hinged covermembers for the container with each cooperating with the others inclosing position and in non-overlapping relation to partially cover thetop of said container,

leaving the same open both centrally and at spaced peripherallocalities.

8. A packaging container constructed of boxboard, said containercomprising a tray or body portion of polygonal contour in plan, having a5 plane bottom wall, plane side walls integral with said bottom wall andspaced apart peripherally at the corners of the container above itsbottom wall, and wall means connecting said side walls at the corners ofthe container, said means comiO prising tabs integral with and extendingfrom adjacent portions of at least two of said container walls at eachcorner of said container into overlapping relation and means securingsaid overlapped tabs together, and cover flaps integral 715 with saidside walls and having a hinged union therewith so as to be movable eachin cooperation with the others into and out of covering position overthe top of said container, said cover flaps being of such shapes andhaving such lon- 2o gitudinal and transverse dimensions that when theycooperate in covering position and in nonoverlapping relation they leavethe top of the container open centrally and at the corners thereof.

9. A packaging container constructed of boxboard and comprising a bodyportion or tray generally polygonal in plan, having a plane bottom wall,plane side walls integral with said bottom wall and of the same extentperipherally of said-so container as said bottom wall at their junctiontherewith but flared outwardly toward the top of the container topresent a V-shaped spacing of the opposed ends of adjacent side wallsapart in the region of the corners of said container, and f corner wallsformed by tabs integral with and extending from said side walls at theiropposite ends, bent out of the plane of said side walls so as to disposethe tabs on the opposed ends of adjacent side walls in overlappingrelation, said'40 overlapped tabs being secured together, and spacedflap members integral with said side walls and having a hinge uniontherewith so as to be movable on said side walls each in cooperationwith the others into and out of non-overlapping covering position oversaid tray portion of said container.

10. A packaging container of generally triangular contour in plan andformed from a single sheet of boxboard, said container having a planebottom, three relatively long and plane side walls integral with thebottom, inclined or flared outwardly toward the top of the container,and disposed peripherally in acute-angled relation to each other butterminating short of meeting -''5 points, three relatively narrow endwalls connecting said side walls at the vertices or corners of saidcontainer and forming obtuse angles therewith, each said end wall beingformed by a tab integral with and upstanding from the bottom of thecontainer between opposed ends of a pair of adjacent side walls and tabsintegral with said side walls and extending from their opposed ends intooverlapping relation with said first mentioned tab and secured thereto,and

cover flaps integral with said side walls and having a scored line oijunction therewith so as to be movable in hinge fashion thereon each incooperation with the others into and out of nonoverlapping coveringposition over the top of said container.

11. A one-piece blank of boxboard for forming a container of thecharacter described, comprising a central Or base portion of generallypolygonal shape, a plurality of side members each extending outwardlyfrom an edge of said base portion and joined thereto along a line ofbending, and a plurality of cover members, each joined to one of saidside members along a second line of bending substantially parallel tothe line of bending first mentioned and extending outwardly from saidside member, the outer portion of each cover member being sufiicientlyshorter, in a direction parallel to said lines of bending, than wheresaid cover member is joined to its associated side member, to preventoverlapping of said cover members when they are in closing position andto leave the container partly uncovered.

12. A one-piece blank of boxboard for forming a container of thecharacter described, comprising a central or base portion in the generalshape of an equilateral triangle having three principle edges of equallength separated by blunt vertices, three side members each joined tosaid base portion along a line of bending adjacent one of the threeprincipal equal edges thereof, each pair of such junction lines beingseparated from each other by a substantial space at one of said bluntvertices, and three cover members each joined to a side member along asecond line of bending substantially parallel to the line of bendingfirst mentioned, each cover member having its free or outer edge shorterthan its base or line of junction to its associated side member.

13. A one-piece blank of boxboard for forming a polygonal container,comprising base, side, corner and cover portions, defined by bendinglines and cooperating, in assembled relation, to form a polygonalcontainer body having a plurality of cover members flexibly attachedthereto and serving, when in covering position, to cover said bodypartially while leaving it uncovered centrally and at spaced peripherallocalities, each of said corner portions comprising tabs cooperating tospace said cover members apart at their bases.

14. A one-piece blank of boxboard for forming a generally triangularcontainer, comprising base, side and cover portions, defined by bendinglines and cooperating, in assembled relation,

-to form a triangular container body having a plurality of cover memberflexibly attached thereto and serving, when in covering position, tocover said body partially while leaving it uncovered centrally and atspaced peripheral localities, each of said corner portions comprisingtabs cooperating to space said cover members apart at their bases.

- ERNEST M. BROGDEN.

